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Author Notes: My family has always loved cheesecake, so I came up with this variation. What goes better with cherries than chocolate? - popkornmom

Serves 8-10

Chocolate Cheesecake

1 9" graham cracker crust, chilled

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened

2 Eggs

1-1/4cups Sugar

1/4cup cocoa powder

2teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Into large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with mixer. Add the eggs, sugar, cocoa and vanilla extract; beat well with mixer, until light and fluffy. Pour into crust. Smooth the top with spatula. To prevent overbrowning, cover edges of cheesecake with foil or pie crust shields. Bake until firm, about 35 - 40 minutes. Knife inserted in middle should come out a little messy, and the content should not be runny. Let cool on wire rack. (This takes about 1-1/2 hours.) Refrigerate at least 8 hours. Then top with cherry topping and confectioner's glaze before serving.

Cherry Topping

2cups dark sweet cherries

1/2cup water

1/2cup sugar

2tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Pit the cherries and cut into fourths. Put them in a saucepan with the water and cook at medium-heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Into a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Add this to the cherries and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool or chill; then put topping on cheesecake before serving.